Ordered to close!

City Hall closed three dirty eateries in Bandar Sri Permaisuri and issued seven compounds to others for hygiene violations

KUALA LUMPUR: The City Hall Health Department ordered the closure of three dirty eateries at Bandar Sri Permaisuri yesterday while issuing seven compounds to another three which did not meet their cleanliness standards.

The eateries were Seven Seven and Wan Guan in Jalan Sri Permaisuri 9 and Seven Seven in Jalan Dwi Tasik 2 which officers believed are owned by the proprietor of the former outlet under the same name.

City Hall health department officers found rat droppings and cockroaches in all three eateries.

A dead rat was found in the back lane near Wan Guan's garbage bin and a rat was seen scurrying near the outdoor kitchen of the Seven Seven in Jalan Sri Permaisuri 9 during the operation.

At the latter's kitchen a pair of kitten heels was also discarded in a serving pot used to throw rubbish.

The pot which was placed on a garbage bin also rose to the height of the stove. At the Seven Seven in Jalan Dwi Tasik 2 a cockroach was also spotted near a rice cooker.

Department director Dr Sallehudin Abu Bakar who led the spot check said all three eateries committed a "big sin" by washing dishes on pavements.

"This habit of shop operators leads to clogged drains and is one of the main causes of flash floods in the city. Raw foodstuff and cooked food were also found placed beside each other in refrigerators and other storage areas," said Dr Sallehudin.

The premises of the three eateries were dirty and dusty. They also obstructed five-foot ways and pavements by placing tables and chairs on the pavements, over the drains and on the sides of roads.

A number of stalls within Seven Seven and Wan Guan were also operating without licences while several others were operating with expired licences.

The eateries had also merged two shop's licences which did not indicate two lots, which is an offence under City Hall's rulings, said Dr Sallehudin.

While most shops had put up extensions and awnings City Hall only compounded one mamak outlet for obstruction yesterday as it had sealed off the drains.

He said he would check whether the eateries found with awnings, chairs and tables outside were actually given permits by City Hall's building department to do so.

He said he would also check if Pappa Rich was issued a compound for sealing the pavement leading to the back of the shop with grilles before he slaps it a compound.

Pappa Rich in Jalan Dwi Tasik 2 was also issued two compounds as its workers were found handling food without aprons, gloves and caps. The eggs they had were also soiled with chicken faeces.

A Kayu outlet also received a compound as its eggs were similarly soiled.

Two mamak outlets were issued two compounds each for mixing raw and cooked food, cooking near the drains and not installing grease traps.

Only Q-Bistro, a mamak outlet operating in Jalan Dwi Tasik was not issued a compound.

However, health officers still stressed that the eatery could improve its cleanliness and achieve an "A" category listing for its cleanliness.

As of yesterday, 34 shops had been ordered to close by City Hall, while thousands of compounds had been issued under the Federal Territory Licence Food Establishment 1985 bylaw. The compounds issued by City Hall ranged between between RM300 and RM500.

Outlets closed would be given a period of three days, following the issuance of the closure notice to clean up their act to the authority's requirements.

Following that City Hall would conduct another check and decide whether the eatery has adhered to its guidelines.

Source: By Veena Babulal